Match report: Ross County 0 - 2 Celtic

Celtic got on the road again after Sunday's disappointing result with a 2-0 victory in poor conditions at Victoria Park versus Ross County. Neil Lennon named a very strong team to face County, making a point that tonight was a must win game as the team looked to progress further in the Scottish Communities League Cup. Anthony Stokes' partnership with Gary Hooper was given priority again. Kris Commons was completely absent, Charlie Mulgrew took up the berth at left midfield. Daniel Majstorovic returned to the centre back position while Adam Matthews again started on the right of defence.

The rain was lashing down in Dingwall as the game kicked off. Ross County made a bright start getting in the faces of the Celtic midfield, managing to use their energy to mark their men, making it difficult for Celtic to build from the back. However, it didn't take long for Celtic to make the breakthrough; from two yards Hooper tapped in Joe Ledley's downward header in the fourteenth minute. The chance came from a corner whipped in by Charlie Mulgrew; as the ball went deep to the far post Stokes managed to keep it in play and lob the ball back across the face of goal to set up Ledley.

Only a few minutes later the ball bounced from the Celtic penalty area, it sat up for Michael Gardyne who volleyed it onto Fraser Forster's post. The only other chance in first half came through Ledley who had a low shot saved smartly by County keeper Michael Fraser after Hooper poked a through ball into his path. Celtic dominated possession for most of the first half but the majority of play was ponderous. The defence, Kelvin Wilson in particular, looked nervous with the ball and they struggled to find men in midfield throughout. Most of Celtic's good play came from Beram Kayal who did well to ping crossfield passes into the wide areas where the likes of James Forrest and Badr El Kaddouri could probe the County penalty area.

At half-time Victor Wanyama replaced Kelvin Wilson; the Kenyan slotted into central midfield with Ledley moving left and Mulgrew moving into defence. Celtic started with purpose and it took only six minutes for the second goal to come. Michael Fraser made another good save from Hooper at his near post but the Celtic striker regained possession and shifted the ball out to the far right where Stokes pushed into the box and fired the ball low across the six yard box. Scott Boyd was caught in two minds as the ball came to him and he turned the ball into his own net.

The goal deflated Ross County who showed none of the determination or spirit we saw at Hampden eighteen months ago. The game petered out and became a mere runabout for the Celtic team, most of whom played within themselves. Any possession did not find it's way to threaten the County goal. Forrest continued to run at the defence and at points linked well with Hooper, demonstrating again one of the best combination of players we've seen in games so far this season. Kayal continued to be strong in midfield with Wanyama; the two ensured there was no meaningful late push for a goal from Ross County.

With Ross County offering no threat, Neil Lennon managed to give Mohamaed Bangura a little more game time when the Sierra Leone player replaced Anthony Stokes in the seventy-seventh minute. Bangura showed a glimpse of quality when he skillfully cut inside from the wide right and played a delightful ball through the County defence which Hooper should have done better with. It was a proud night too for young Irishman Paul George who made his Celtic first team debut coming on in the eighty-ninth minute for Hooper. It was nearly a dream start when he almost converted a late chance to make it 3-0 but Michael Fraser made another fantastic save to keep the score respectable for Ross County.

The result puts Celtic into the League Cup Quarter Final draw tomorrow with Dundee United, St.Mirren, Kilmarnock, Hibernian and rather remarkably three SFL teams. East Fife, Falkirk and Ayr United all managed to knock out SPL teams on Tuesday and Wednesday night with Aberdeen, Rangers and Hearts being their scalps. Celtic now look to complete a Highland double bill when they face Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday at Parkhead. Neil Lennon will be as relieved as the Celtic fans to avoid a slip up which would've put further pressure on the club moving into a series of crucial league games before another international break in October. It's never easy going away in a cup competition, especially in midweek and in poor weather conditions. The job was done and done professionally. This is all we can ask as the team looks to rebuild consistency and confident performances.